HEADLINE New York Officials Dismantle Million-Dollar Stolen Vehicle Ring; 40 Hondas and Toyotas Recovered

NY and NJ officials recover 40+ stolen vehicles worth over 1 million dollars. Five charged in a sophisticated Honda and Toyota theft operation.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 13, 2026, 6:42 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Insurance Journal and the Office of the New York State Attorney General.

The Takedown of a Large-Scale Brokerage

The investigation, which began in February 2025, targeted an organized group that allegedly specialized in the theft and resale of popular consumer vehicles, specifically targeting Honda and Toyota models. Officials identified Jonathan Mercedes Silvestre as the primary broker of the operation. Over the course of a year, the New York Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) and the NYPD utilized physical surveillance, covert video, and court-authorized wiretapping to map out the criminal network.

How the Operation Functioned

The ring reportedly operated with a clear division of labor. Raulin Rodriguez and Jender Santos-Ulloa allegedly acted as the primary sources for the stolen vehicles. Josue Dejesus Gonzalez and Juan Tavarez Cabrera are accused of locating, acquiring, and transporting the cars. Once acquired, the vehicles were resold to a network of customers throughout the New York and New Jersey metropolitan areas.

Target Locations and Vehicle Stats

The thefts were not localized to a single neighborhood but targeted suburbs and city centers across two states. In New Jersey, vehicles were taken from Bergen and Passaic Counties. In New York, the group operated in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Westchester County. Of the more than 40 vehicles recovered, the inventory focused heavily on high-demand SUVs and sedans. The haul included 19 Honda CRVs, 6 Lexus IS 350s, 5 Toyota Highlanders, 4 Honda Accords, 3 Acura TLXs, 2 Lexus IS 500s, and 1 Honda Civic.